The present invention relates generally to plastic or rubber floor mats providing a raised, perforated high-friction surface suitable for use in damp locations, such as lobbies, and the like. More specifically the present invention relates to a method for easily removing and deploying various sizes of floor mat systems by connecting and detaching floor mat sections to and from each other.
Perforated rubber or plastic floor mats are useful for providing a safe, high friction surface for people and other traffic moving in damp conditions. This is accomplished by keeping the feet of pedestrians above a damp or particulate-rich, cold, encumbered or otherwise slippery floor.
Normally the upper surface of the floor mat is constituted by a number of narrow, parallel plastic or rubber strips or ribs, often separated by a distance approximately the same size as the width of an individual strip. Often such strips or ribs have anti-skid corrugations on their top surfaces to provide a high friction walking surface.
However, in many cases, the anti-skid corrugations on the top surfaces of the upper portion of the floor mat can create additional hazards. For example, the corrugations may hold particulate matter to the surface of the mat rendering the mat far more slippery than a mat with a smooth upper surface. Also, it has been discovered through use that corrugated surfaces do not exhibit as much friction as that provided by flat mats.
This is especially critical with thin mats, which have a tendency to slide when subjected to lateral or horizontal forces caused by traffic. Such forces also tend to pull mat sections away from each other further exacerbating the problem of mat movement. Thus, many thin mats allow hazardous conditions to occur by moving along the floor supporting the mat, even if the traffic across the mat interfaces on relatively slip free surface of the mat.
On the other hand, thicker matting may serve as a trap for high heeled shoes to small casters or wheels of vehicles. Also, the thicker matting (usually xc2xdxe2x80x2 inch or more in thickness) is much more difficult to deploy and remove than thinner matting.
The lower portion of a conventional floor mat usually consists of two series of roughly parallel, spaced strips crossing each other at substantially perpendicular directions, and connected together to provide rectangular perforations through the floor mat so that the floor or support surface upon which the mat is laid can easily dry out. Mud and dirt are cleaned from the feet of the users by friction with the upper edge of the mat surface to fall through the perforations to the floor upon which the mat is laid. Such mats are most often used in the lobbies of public buildings, and in damp work situations to keep the feet of workers above a damp floor which can easily become very slick with moisture or debris. The principal purpose of such mats is to enhance the safety of workers or pedestrians passing over a particular surface.
In some cases it is desirable to cover an entire surface of a fairly large area with matting. Since the matting can be fairly heavy or thick, it is often difficult to remove it in order to clean the floor, especially if the mat is in a single large piece. If, on the other hand, the mat is made up of a number of smaller pieces loosely laid on the floor, it is difficult to keep them properly connected and aligned. This is especially true if the floor tends to become slippery when wet, or if the nature of the traffic over the mat is such as to cause horizontal lateral stress along a plane parallel to the floor. As a result of such stress, the mat sections may move about creating a hazardous situation, as well as an unsightly appearance.
A number of systems have been proposed to hold floor mat section together. The best-known technique is to use small sections of matting that are glued to each other. However, in this system it is very difficult to remove the matting without breaking the glue bonds and causing damage to the matting. If the glue bonds are sufficiently strong that the mat portions holds together, then the previously-mentioned problems of dealing with large, heavy mats occur.
Another solution has been the use of connecting devices permanently affixed to the floor, and having projecting connecting portions, such as prongs. These are generally known as dog ears, and are forced over the ribs of the floor mats to secure the matting to the floor. However conventional systems using this technique have been hampered by difficulties in attaching and detaching the mat sections to each other and the floor.
Another system for holding mats together is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,059 to Kessler, dated Nov. 21, 1972, and incorporated herein by reference. This system discloses a system for interlocking small floor mats at their edges to provide a single large mat which can be treated as a unit if desired. The system accommodates removal of small floor mat sections for cleaning, as well as replacement of selected floor mat sections. This is accomplished using plastic connectors having locking portions which fit into apertures in the floor mat, and engage both the upper and lower strips or ribs of the mat to lock the mat sections together.
Despite the advantages of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,059, substantial problems with the assembly of large mat configurations still exist. The connectors of the Kessler system can be difficult to install so that easy mat alignment will also be difficult. Another factor occurs when long lengths of floor matting are assembled. Traffic along the length of the floor mat creates stresses which tend to pull the mat sections apart, even with the conventional locking system. Further, the locking splines of the Kessler system are subject to rolling allowing the floor mats to separate when certain stresses (caused by traffic) are applied to it. This is further exacerbated by the fact that there are substantial portions of adjoining floor mat sections that are not directly connected by the locking splines. Thus, high levels of traffic, or increased speeds of the traffic, as well as local high stress conditions (such as those caused by high heeled shoes or extremely heavy individuals) can cause mat destabilization and separation.
Another solution to the aforementioned problems associated with floor mats is the use of recessed areas formed in the floor to contain the floor mats. Generally, the recessed areas are sized so that the floor mats are located with their edges against the edges of the recessed area thereby preventing the floormats from sliding when subject to traffic. Ideally, water, snow, liquid detergent, granulated detergent, auto oil, granulated products, and other debris from the sources of traffic pass through the perforations in the mat to keep the top surface of the mat free of standing water and other hazards. Since the top surface of the mat is generally flush with the surrounding surfaces, the mat does not constitute an obstruction. This is especially important when using relatively thick or rigid mats.
While such conventional mat arrangements are adequate for many purposes, there are certain drawbacks. First the building owner or user must plan for the installation of these mats and have the recessed area built into the floor during construction of the building. As a result, additional burdens are created in the planning of the building. In the alternative, the recessed areas can be dug out of the floor after the building has been constructed. However, such operations entail a great deal of expense to the building owner or user. Further, even when a recessed area has been provided to hold the floor mats, extemely large mats may still be moved within the recessed area, possibly causing unsafe conditions.
Another approach includes the use of continuous lengths of matting arranged in roles. However, the rolled matting can be cumbersome to move for cleaning, etc. Also, conventional connections between large sections of matting are often difficult to easily install or disconnect. Consequently, in conjunction with the weight of the matting, awkward conventional connector usually make the deployment and the removal of large sections of matting a long and arduous process.
One approach to the problem of heavy and awkward rolls of matting is to use thinner matting material (generally in the range of 0.25 inch or less). However, one drawback with matting thin enough to be easily rolled is the tendency to be substantially deformed by local stress such as that caused by high heeled shoes, extremely heavy individuals or heavily loaded carts with small casters. Because of the flexibility of thin, conventional, rollable matting, it is common for high heeled shoes to cause deformation of the matting and become stuck in the perforations. As a result, thin, conventional, rollable matting may create additional safety hazards even as it is addressing the usual problems of installing and removing large rolls of matting.
Also, by avoiding the complications of floor recesses dedicated to hold floor matting, another disadvantage occurs. The edge of the floor matting is often constituted by a 90xc2x0 step, which can constitute a hazard to pedestrian traffic, as well as providing some difficulty for heavy small wheeled vehicles or other vehicles with casters. Conventional solutions to the problem are awkward and add a level of complexity, making deployment and removal of the matting even more complex.
Thus the conventional art does not adequately address all the difficulties of deploying and removing substantial amounts of floor matting.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a floor mat interlocking system that is easily assembled and removed.
It is another object of the present invention to enhance continuity of connected floor mat sections by means of the weight of traffic moving over the mats.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system that is not destabilized by the movement of traffic over the mat.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a floor mat interconnection system that does not allow unintended separation of adjoining mat sections, or unintended mat movement or lifting of the mat from the floor.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a system to maintain floor mat alignment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system in which individual sections of the mat are easily removed and replaced without disrupting any other sections of the mat.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat that can be easily deployed or removed by being rolled up in sections.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a sectionalized floor mat that can be connected together with easy snap-fit connectors.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system having the benefits of a floor mat system arranged in floor recesses without the disadvantage of constructing floor recesses.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system that avoids the drawbacks of a sharp step between the floor and the top of the mat.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system that admits to easy arrangement of both intermediate and end pieces along the length and width of the mat.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide a large continuous rollable floor mat that is constituted by a series of much smaller sections connected to each other.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat configuration that resists penetration by high heeled shoes or other high stress incidents of traffic over a flexible floor.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat configuration that deals with excessive unit load transmitted by wheels without substantially deforming the mat or moving it.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat configuration that distributes spillage so that there is no overflow onto the surface of the mat system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system that can maintain safe conditions by accommodating spillage of liquid and particulate matter such as detergent, plastic and rubber grains, metal particles, and organic particulate matter such as sugar, and other debris, as well as motor oil and other viscous materials.
It is an additional object of the present invention to prevent or limit warping of a floor mat along it""s length.
It is again a further object of the present invention to prevent dimpling along the length of a mat section.
It is still a further object of the present invention to compensate for variations in size due to thermal factors along the length of a floor mat.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system that achieves the benefits of a hard upper surface and a soft anti-slip lower surface while being simple to manufacture.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system in which both lateral and longitudinal ramps help hold the matting system to an underlying surface.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system having lateral and longitudinal ramps that do not separate at the intersection of the longitudinal and latitudinal ramps.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system that can control deformation up to a predetermined point without deforming any further.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a connector for mat sections, which is sufficiently adaptable to be placed in a variety of different configurations to hold mat sections together.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system in which lateral and longitudinal ramps are identical in construction so as to simplify the overall floor matting system.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a safety floor matting system having improved connection mechanisms for both longitudinal and latitudinal ramps so that both types of ramps are easily connected and disconnected from the floor mat segments.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide a safety floor matting system with optimized space between upper and lower ribs, as well as optimum shapes and configuration of those ribs to maximize the anti-slip safety aspects of the mat system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mat system having an inclined ramp system surrounding it where the intersections between ramps are not vulnerable to separation.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a floor mat system having a gripping mechanism in the form of optimal lower rib shape and configuration.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary support technique for a floor mat system whereby the support system provides additional anti-slip capability to prevent the floor mat from moving laterally on the support surface.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system which can be firmly attached to the floor or surface supporting the floor mat.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system that can be arranged to withstand high lateral forces without substantial movement, and without being permanently affixed to the floor or support surface.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system having ramps where connection between the ramp segments are arranged so that breaks between the ramp segments are eliminated.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system in which anti-skid devices are easily retrofitted to existing floor mats.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a safety floor mat system which is easily connected to permanent floor connectors, and easily disconnected.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a dry, relatively unencumbered travel surface. The mat system includes at least one mat section. The mat sections include a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that the upper surfaces of the lower strips are permanently affixed to the lower surfaces of the upper strips. A ramp structure is also included and is constituted by a plurality of ramps arranged around the periphery of the mat system. The ramp structure also includes at least corner piece joining at an intersection to two different ramps extending from two different edges of the mat system. The corner piece of the ramp is constituted by a single unitary molded structure.
In another embodiment a mat system is arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively unencumbered dry travel surface. The mat system includes at least one mat section. The mat section includes a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces and ramp connections extending therefrom. A plurality of lower strips having upper and lower surfaces are arranged so that the upper surface of the lower strips are permanently affixed to the lower surfaces of the upper strips. A plurality of the lower strips have ramp connections extending therefrom. The ramp connections for the upper strips and ramp connectors for the lower strips are identical in structure. The ramp structure is also included to be arranged at the periphery of at least one of the mat sections, and connects the ramp connectors of the upper strips and the ramp connectors of the lower strips.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is manifested by a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry, unencumbered travel surface. The mat system includes at least one mat section and comprises a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that the upper surfaces of the lower strips are permanently affixed to the lower surface of the upper strips. A ramp structure is also attached along the periphery of the mat sections. The mat is configured so that the upper strips are parallel to each other and lower strips are parallel to each other. The upper strips are arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of traffic along the mat system, and the lower strips are arranged substantially perpendicular to the upper strips. The spacing between all the strips is uniform so that minimum spacing between the upper strips is 0.07 inches and the minimum spacing between the lower strips is 0.1 inch.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is manifested by a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry, unencumbered travel surface. The mat system includes at least one mat section and each of the mat sections includes a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of upper strips, having upper and lower surfaces. The lower surfaces of the upper strips are arranged to be permanently affixed to the upper surfaces of the lower strips. At least some of the lower strips are substantially rectangular in shape and contain an anti-slip device.
Still an additional embodiment of the present invention is manifested by a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry, unencumbered travel surface. The mat system includes a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of lower strips having upper and lower surfaces. The upper surfaces of the lower strips are permanently affixed to the lower surfaces of the upper strips. Also included is a plurality of auxiliary supports arranged on the lower surface of the upper strip, and extending downward from the lower surface of the upper strips towards the support surface.
Yet a further embodiment of the present invention is manifested by a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry, unencumbered travel surface. The mat system includes at least one mat section, which in turn includes a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces. Each mat section is also constituted by a plurality of lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that the upper surfaces of lower strips are permanently affixed to the lower surfaces of the upper strips. The mat sections are held together by at least one connector, which is constituted by a softer material than the material constituting the upper surfaces of the upper strips of each of the mat sections.